We've Been out of touch For a Year

In some respects, this is just like my journal. I usually write about once a year!! There is always an entry right around January 1st as I solidify that resolution to write more often in my journal! HA! Anyway, the biggest updates are:

Carston graduated number 3 in his class and is now at Utah State University on a full ride scholarship. He also got a Research Fellowship from the Physics department! Yay! We love not having to pay for school! He works at Taco Bell - Que Bueno! And lives with Dalon and 2 other roommates near campus.

Yes, Dalon is back from Hong Kong. Arlen and I were able to go to Hong Kong in August and see his areas, meet his comps and feel the Hong Kong vibe (and smell the Hong Kong smells and drown in the Hong Kong humidity) It was a great experience, but I've never been so exhausted in all my life from hoofing it EVERYWHERE! Dalon is at USU and is working at the Space Dynamics Lab designing experiments for NASA. Pretty cool!!

I've included some Hong Kong pics. The temple is beautiful, the Mission Pres. was sooo nice as were the people of Hong Kong. We had many angels help us the first couple of days we were there. Arlen's Mandarin helped some but not completely. It was better once we were with Dalon and he could communicate in Cantonese.

Mong Kok night life

The Bays were Beautiful

The Temple Doors

Triathlon Times

Since Arlen moved to Amarillo in 2005, he's trained for and participated in several small triathlons. We have actually gone and watched at a few of them, but always sans camera. This time we took a camera, complete with supportive logo t-shirts, but somehow ended up without any photos of Arlen. He's just too fast!! (That's the only thing I can think of.) This particular triathlon was held in a gated community which has a private lake. The lake had just turned or something and newly disturbed organisms had killed a lot of the fish, so the place stunk like rotted things!!! Thus the photo with carefully pinched noses!

Anyway, Arlen had a blast making the tee's for the kids and did fairly well in the race to boot.

More News from Hong Kong

Dalon sent more pics. Just a little update on him. He was made Senior companion several months ago and more recently a trainer. His mission president sent the nicest letter. (Arlen wonders if it's a form letter, but I choose to think he only says wonderful things about MY son.) :-) He said, "I want you to know how much I love and admire your son and I know that Heavenly Father loves him as well. He is an exemplary missionary in every way." That does a mother's heart good! The letter goes on to define the responsibility of being a trainer. "One of the greatest expressions of trust that you can give a missionary is to assign him or her as a trainer of a new missionary." We're so happy for that trust that's been placed in Dalon. Anyway, the pics of Tung Chung on Landau Island are beautiful and I wanted to share.

Summer Recaps

I figure this is better late than never.

Carston and cousin, Collin at EFY held at Utah State University in July.

The VEST family reunion met to celebrate Kari's mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary.

Mom and Dad's posterity = 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, so far.

Grant and Gayle Vest hold up a gift given by my sister, Kami. I loved what this said. "All Because Two People Fell in Love..."

We were also able to attend the Pixton Reunion in Draper, UT. The cousins played Ultimate frisbee.
My mom (center back) and her siblings sing a fun song.

L to R: Eunice (Robert's wife), Uncle Robert, my Dad, Aunt Sylvia, Mom, Aunt Cleone, Aunt Janice, Uncle Howard(hidden in back), Aunt Joann, and Howard's wife, Margene(peeking out)
Lauren and cousins, Kelsey and Keaton at Bear Lake in Garden City, Ut

Swim lessons after the reunion was over.

We celebrated Dalon's 20th birthday Aug. 11, even though he's in Hong Kong. We got to celebrate with our Amarillo Vest cousins while their new baby brother, Kolby Kyle was born. Now, Dalon has a birthday mate. How many people get a new cousin for their birthday? We thought it was pretty cool.

TOO FUNNY

Man, this is hilarious. I took it from the Greenmun's blog, so I thought I would give credit there, but I wanted to expose those who don't surf that blog to some great political satire... Kind of in the tone of SNL. Loved the Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton spoof too, but that's a different link.

Click HERE to enjoy the joy of Politics.

Heroes